Driving control method and driving control device

Abstract

The present invention provides a locking control method and a locking control device that can properly charge a mobile terminal used to unlock a vehicle. [Solution] The processor 10, which controls the operation of the vehicle, uses the sensor 3 to acquire the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle. If the seat position exceeds a predetermined reference range for seat position, it reduces the vehicle's acceleration gain and causes the vehicle controller 200 to control the operation of the vehicle based on the reduced acceleration gain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] It relates to a method and device for controlling the operation of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] When the shift lever is in the non-driving range and it is determined that the accelerator pedal has been suddenly depressed, acceleration is suppressed. When the state of continuously depressing the accelerator pedal continues and the shift lever moves from the non-driving range to the driving range, there is a known technology for suppressing sudden acceleration that accelerates with a predetermined speed as the upper limit after passing through low-speed driving.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, no consideration has been given to acceleration suppression when the pedal operation accuracy deteriorates.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to suppress acceleration when the pedal operation accuracy deteriorates.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention solves the above problems by reducing the acceleration gain of the vehicle when the detected seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle exceeds a reference range related to a predefined seat position.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, acceleration can be suppressed when the pedal operation accuracy deteriorates.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the driving control system. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates the method for defining the reference range for seat position. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the first processing procedure (F1-F2) of the operation control. [Figure 4] Figures 4(a), 4(b), and 4(c) show examples of reference information, respectively. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the second processing procedure (F3-F6) of the operation control. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows the hardware configuration of a driving control system 100 equipped with a vehicle driving control device 1 according to this embodiment. This driving control method is implemented by the processor 10 of the driving control device 1 using the hardware of the driving control system 100. The driving control system 100 comprises the driving control device 1, a seat position adjustment device 2, various sensors 3, and a vehicle controller 200.

[0010] The seat position adjustment device 2 comprises a seat sensor 21 for detecting the seat position of the driver's seat of a vehicle, and a seat drive mechanism 22 for moving the seat position. The seat has a seat surface that constitutes the seating surface on which the driver sits, and a backrest that supports the driver's back. The seat position includes at least a vertical position of the seat surface along the direction of gravity and a longitudinal direction of the seat surface along the vehicle's length. The seat drive mechanism 22 comprises a seat slide drive mechanism for moving the seat position forward or backward, and a seat lifter drive mechanism for moving the seat upward or downward. The seat drive mechanism 22 adjusts the vertical and longitudinal positions of the seat based on the occupant's operation or a stored seat position. The seat drive mechanism 22 moves the seat surface of the seat in the vertical direction along the direction of gravity and / or in the longitudinal direction along the vehicle's length. The seat drive mechanism 22 reclines the backrest of the seat backward. The seat position adjustment device 2 may employ the function of adjusting the seat position of the driver's seat of a vehicle known at the time of filing. The seat sensor 21 detects the adjusted seat position and outputs it to the processor 10 of the driving control device 1. The seat sensor 21 detects the seat position at the time when driving starts and outputs it to the processor 10. Specifically, the seat sensor 21 detects the seat position at the time when a command to start the vehicle engine is input or when a command to turn on the vehicle power is input and outputs it to the processor 10.

[0011] Sensor 3 includes a camera 31. Camera 31 includes an interior camera 31a that images the interior of the vehicle and an exterior camera 31b that images the exterior of the vehicle. Camera 31 includes an image sensor equipped with an image sensor such as a CCD, and an infrared camera. These cameras 31 have image processing functions. Interior camera 31a detects the driver's head position, seating position, knee position, heel position, joint position, and accelerator pedal position (operating position) from the captured image. Exterior camera 31b images the entire surroundings of the vehicle. Exterior camera 31b extracts an image of the driver approaching the vehicle to get in from the captured image and measures the driver's height based on a predefined calculation standard. Sensor 3 has an accelerator pedal opening sensor 32 of the vehicle's pedals. The pedal may be a one-pedal pedal with accelerator and brake functions, or it may be a pedal for the accelerator of a two-pedal or three-pedal system. Sensor 3 has a heel position sensor 33. The heel position sensor 33 detects the position of the driver's heel while seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle. The driver's heel position is detected relative to the pedal position. In this embodiment, the heel position is defined by its position relative to the tip (operating part) of the foot pedal that controls the vehicle's drive and / or brake. The heel position and the position of the pedal tip may also be defined by the coordinates of the floor surface of the driver's seat. The heel position sensor 33 can be composed of a plurality of touch sensors or pressure sensors arranged on the floor surface from the pedal position to the driver's seat with coordinates. The heel position sensor 33 detects the driver's heel position based on the detection result, which includes the placement coordinates of each touch sensor or pressure sensor that detects the presence of the driver's heel. The placement coordinates are based on the position of the pedal tip, and the heel position sensor 33 outputs the driver's heel position relative to the position of the pedal tip as the detection result. The heel position sensor 33 may also be composed of a cabin camera 31a that images the lower leg of the driver below the knee on the floor in front of the driver's seat. The cabin camera 31a is positioned below the dashboard, below the instrument panel, and on the side of the center console, and captures images of the driver's lower leg, specifically the ankle region including at least the heel. The cabin camera 31a extracts images containing heel features from the captured images. Heel features include the knee joint, ankle joint, shin, lateral malleolus (outer ankle bone), medial malleolus (inner ankle bone), sole of the foot, and toes.The cabin camera 31a detects the position of the heel based on the position of the heel features. The cabin camera 31a calculates the ankle angle (shown as A in Figure 2) from the positional relationship of each feature. Sensor 3 includes a seat position sensor 34 that detects the seat position (up and down, front and back) and the seat surface position (up and down, front and back) from the image captured by the cabin camera 31a. Sensor 3 outputs the detection results to the processor 10 of the driving control device 1.

[0012] The vehicle controller 200 includes a steering control device 210 and a drive control device 220, and performs driving according to command values ​​based on the driver's manual operation input via the input / output device 20. The vehicle controller 200 also drives the vehicle according to command values ​​for autonomous driving control based on a driving plan formulated by the processor 10 of the driving control device 1. The input / output device 20 includes at least an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a steering wheel. The command values ​​are control command values ​​for the vehicle to travel along a target trajectory. The target trajectory may be determined by the driver or calculated by the processor 10. The command values ​​include one or more of the set speed (including upper limit speed and applicable speed), acceleration, acceleration gain, deceleration, and deceleration gain when driving the vehicle, and the vehicle controller 200 drives the vehicle according to these command values. In this embodiment, the processor 10 transmits a control command value to the vehicle controller to change the steady-state setting value of the acceleration gain in driving control. The steady-state setting value of the acceleration gain is defined according to the amount of pedal operation. The steady-state setting value of the acceleration gain is a value initially set in the reference characteristics. The processor 10 stores a reference acceleration characteristic corresponding to the accelerator opening based on the amount of pedal operation, and sets the acceleration gain according to the accelerator opening. In this embodiment, the processor 10 adjusts the acceleration gain set according to the accelerator opening according to the seat position, providing acceleration characteristics that take into account individual differences such as physical characteristics. The command value related to acceleration includes the motor rotation speed according to the accelerator opening and a torque command value according to the difference from the target rotation speed. In addition, the command value related to steering is input via the steering wheel. The vehicle controller 200 controls the input of longitudinal and lateral forces that control the vehicle's position based on each command value, and controls the behavior of the vehicle body and wheels so that the vehicle travels along the target path. Based on these controls, at least one of the drive actuators and brake actuators of the vehicle body's drive mechanism controlled by the drive control device 220, and the steering actuator of the steering control device 210, which is activated as needed, operate to perform driving control that makes the vehicle travel along the target trajectory. In order to control the driving of the vehicle, the vehicle controller 200 acquires necessary information from one or more of the following devices: an external camera 31b that images the area around the vehicle in all directions, a distance measuring device such as a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) unit, a receiver of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals for detecting the current position, a navigation device, and a vehicle behavior detection device.

[0013] The driving control device 1 of the driving control system 100 controls manual or autonomous driving to make the vehicle travel along a target trajectory. The driving control device 1 of this embodiment performs acceleration gain control in the driving control of the vehicle. The processor 10 of the driving control device 1 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12 that stores a program for controlling driving, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 that executes the program stored in the ROM 12, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13 that functions as an accessible storage device. The processor 10 implements this driving control method using the hardware of the driving control system 100. The processor 10 executes each function by cooperating software that realizes the function of acquiring the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle and the function of reducing the acceleration gain of the vehicle if the seat position exceeds a reference range, and the hardware shown in Figure 1. The reference range includes a reference seat position and a reference ankle angle range. The reference range is defined before the vehicle is shipped and stored in the ROM 12 or RAM 13.

[0014] Based on Figure 2, the method for detecting the vehicle's seat position and the occupant's heel position will be explained. Figure 2 shows a driver DV seated on the vehicle's seat ST. The driver DV is seated on the upper surface of the seat cushion S1, leaning their back against the backrest S2, gripping the steering wheel SR, and resting the soles of their feet on the tips (operating parts) of the foot pedals P. The seat cushion S1 of the seat ST is movable upward (arrow U direction) or downward (arrow D direction) along the direction of gravity Z, relative to the reference coordinate system (origin 0). The seat cushion S1 of the seat ST is movable forward (arrow F direction) or backward (arrow R direction) along the direction of travel Y. The seat position along the vertical direction is the distance H from the vertical position h0 of the vehicle's floor FL to the vertical position h1 of the upper surface of the seat cushion S1. The seat position along the longitudinal direction is the distance D from the longitudinal position D0 of the rear end of the slide rail for the longitudinal movement of the vehicle's seat ST to the longitudinal position D1 of the slide rail of the vehicle's seat ST after adjustment. The reference for the seat position is not particularly limited and can be defined arbitrarily. Furthermore, the position of the driver's heel HL is the distance DP from the position K0 of the pedal surface P to the contact point K1 between the heel HL and the floor surface FL. The distance DP is along the direction of the vehicle's travel Y or the sliding direction arrow F / R of the seat surface S1 of the seat ST. The contact point K1 between the heel HL and the floor surface FL is detected by a two-dimensional (sheet-like) touch panel sensor or pressure sensor placed on the floor surface FL at the driver's feet. The coordinate information of the position K0 of the pedal surface P is stored in advance. The reference for the heel position is not particularly limited and can be defined arbitrarily. When a driver DV is seated on the seat ST and attempts to press the pedal P with their heel HL on the floor FL, their ankle forms an ankle angle A. The ankle angle A is formed by the toes Q1, heel Q2, and knee Q3. The processor 10 may use the imaging information from the camera 31 to detect the joint positions Q1 to Q9 of the driver DV driving the vehicle, and calculate the driver DV's ankle angle A from the joint positions Q1 to Q9. The processor 10 calculates the joint positions Q1 to Q9 of the driver DV by referring to a joint model of a seated human. By using actually captured images, the driver DV's ankle angle A can be measured with high accuracy. A known human joint model can be used.

[0015] The first processing step of the operation control will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows the main process F1 and the process F2 that can be added to or replaced by it. First, we will explain process F1. The processor 10 acquires detection information from the sensors 3 (including the camera 31, accelerator pedal position sensor 32, heel position sensor 33, seat position sensor 34, and seat sensor 21; the same applies hereafter) (S1). The processor 10 acquires the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle based on the detection information from the sensors 3 (S2). The processor 10 refers to a predefined "reference range" for seat position when determining the seat position (S3). The "reference range" is defined for each target vehicle and is the front-to-back and / or up-to-down position of the seat ST suitable for driving that vehicle. The "reference range" includes a first reference range for the up-to-down position of the seat and a second reference range for the front-to-back position of the seat. The up-to-down position is the position along the arrows U / D direction of the seat surface S1 of the seat ST in Figure 2, and the front-to-back position is the position along the arrows F / R direction of the seat surface S1 of the seat ST in Figure 2. The first reference range is defined by the first upper limit position, which is the upper limit of the up-to-down position (arrow U direction), and the first lower limit position, which is the lower limit of the down-to-down position (arrow D direction). The seat position below the first upper limit position and above the first lower limit position is the first reference range. The second reference range is defined by the second upper limit position, which is the upper limit of the front-to-back position (arrow F direction), and the second lower limit position, which is the lower limit of the rear-to-back position (arrow R direction). The second reference range is the sheet position below the second upper limit and above the second lower limit. In this embodiment, the "reference range" is experimentally determined based on the seat position of the driver DV whose accelerator pedal operation accuracy is above a predetermined evaluation value. The method for evaluating accelerator pedal operation accuracy is not particularly limited, but for example, for each seat position, the driver may be presented with a target accelerator opening, asked to operate the pedal, the accelerator opening at that time may be measured, and the accelerator operation accuracy may be evaluated based on the degree of deviation between the actual accelerator opening and the target accelerator opening. Alternatively, for each seat position, the driver may be presented with a target accelerator opening, asked to operate the pedal, the ankle angle at that time may be measured, and the accelerator operation accuracy may be evaluated based on the degree of deviation between the actual ankle angle and the target angle. The target accelerator opening may be presented as a numerical value, or it may be presented as a scene such as starting from a stop, starting from deceleration, or starting when crossing a pedestrian crossing. In any method, the larger the degree of deviation, the lower the operation accuracy is evaluated, and the smaller the degree of deviation, the higher the operation accuracy is evaluated. An evaluation value may be calculated according to the degree of deviation, and a reference range may be defined based on the seat position that is above a predetermined evaluation value. This evaluation may also be performed for each driver's height.

[0016] Further examination of accelerator pedal operation accuracy reveals that pedal operation in the low-throttle range tends to be less accurate compared to pedal operation in the high-throttle range, where the ankle angle is larger, because the ankle angle is smaller. The inventors point out that this tendency varies from person to person. Specifically, the ankle angle while driving is influenced by the driver's physical characteristics, such as height. In addition, the ankle angle while driving is influenced by the driver's driving position relative to the seat and their posture (habits). Furthermore, the ankle angle while driving is influenced by the driver's age. As drivers get older, the accuracy of accelerator pedal operation in the low-throttle range tends to decrease due to a decline in physical abilities such as decreased muscle strength in the legs, including the shins, and reduced range of motion in the joints. Moreover, the ankle angle while driving is influenced by the driver's fatigue and other individual circumstances that vary from day to day. When a driver is highly fatigued (for example, after exercise or after long hours of driving), the accuracy of accelerator pedal operation in the low-throttle range tends to decrease due to a temporary decline in physical and / or mental abilities. When pedal operation accuracy decreases, the accuracy of speed control in the low-speed range decreases. This decrease in speed control accuracy can lead to driver errors (operations not as intended by the driver). In other words, when the ankle angle falls outside the appropriate range, the accuracy of accelerator pedal operation in the low-opening range tends to decrease. Thus, the driver DV's ankle angle A changes depending on personal or specific circumstances. The inventors focused on the relationship between seat position and ankle angle A and experimentally found that when the seat position is appropriate, the ankle angle A is at an appropriate angle, and when the seat position is not appropriate, the ankle angle A tends to fall outside the appropriate angle range. From this perspective, in this embodiment, a "reference range" is defined based on a seat position in which the ankle angle A of the reference driver operating the vehicle falls within a predetermined reference ankle angle range in a predetermined low-opening range of the accelerator pedal P. The accelerator opening of the accelerator pedal P is output as an angle. The accelerator opening includes a low-opening range depending on the amount of depression. The low-opening range of the accelerator may be defined as an angle from 0° to 30% of the full opening, or from 0° to 25% of the full opening, or from 0° to 20% of the full opening. In this embodiment, the low-opening range of the accelerator is defined as an angle of 0° or more and 25% or less of the full opening. The "reference ankle angle range" in this embodiment is the range in which the pedal operation accuracy is equal to or greater than a predetermined evaluation value. The "reference ankle angle range" is determined experimentally for each vehicle, and is, for example, 70° to 130°, 80° to 120°, 90° to 110°, or 95° to 105°. In this embodiment, the "reference ankle angle range" is set to 90° or more and 110° or less. In this embodiment, when the accelerator opening angle is between 0° and 25% of the full opening angle, the reference range of the seat position may be experimentally determined when the ankle angle is between 90° and 110°, which is the "reference ankle angle range". Alternatively, in this embodiment, when the accelerator opening angle is between 0° and 25% of the full opening angle, the reference range of the seat position may be experimentally determined when the evaluation result of accelerator operation accuracy is above a predetermined evaluation value. The method described above can be used to evaluate the accuracy of accelerator pedal operation. Here, the "reference driver" is a driver with common physical characteristics. The "reference driver" in this embodiment is a group of drivers with a predetermined height or within a predetermined height range, and the reference range in this example may be defined for each height or height range. The "reference driver" can be defined using a predefined adult body model. For example, representative values such as the average value, the most frequent value, and the median value based on the height distribution of adults in the vehicle sales country or region can be set, and a body model of the reference driver (human) with the height of the representative value can be defined. When the reference driver DV of this body model is seated on the seat ST of the target vehicle, the seat position (up and down / front and back) at which the operation accuracy of the pedal P is maintained (does not decrease) can be experimentally obtained to define the reference range. Also, the reference range can be defined based on the seat position where the ankle angle A is within a predetermined reference ankle angle range when the sole of the foot of the reference driver DV of the body model is placed on the pedal P. The representative value of the height of the body model may have a width instead of a single value. For example, if the height range of the reference driver is set to 150 cm to 190 cm, the reference range can be defined based on the seat position where the ankle angle A of the reference driver is within a predetermined reference ankle angle range through experiments. The above-mentioned ankle angle A can be defined based on the seat position where it is within a predetermined reference ankle angle range in a predetermined low opening region of the accelerator pedal. The "reference range" in this embodiment is defined according to the physical characteristics of the driver DV. The physical characteristics include the height of the driver DV. In this specification, the reference range using the body model is also referred to as the "model reference range".

[0017] By defining a "reference range" in this way, it is possible to determine whether or not to reduce the acceleration gain when the ankle angle is predicted to exceed a predefined reference ankle angle range based on the seat position. The processor 10 can reduce the acceleration gain when the ankle angle exceeds the reference ankle angle range, that is, when the ankle angle is not within the appropriate range. Since the reference range is defined considering the ankle angle in the low-opening region of the accelerator pedal, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the driver DV's operational accuracy in the low-opening region of the accelerator pedal. In particular, when driving in the low-opening region where the operational accuracy of pedal operation decreases, it is possible to suppress sudden acceleration and stabilize driving such as starting from a stop or driving slowly. In this way, by using a reference range based on the reference ankle angle range, the acceleration gain of the accelerator input by pedal operation in the low-opening region, which must be operated with an ankle angle that tends to reduce operational accuracy, can be suppressed based on the seat position, thereby supporting driving in situations where driving is difficult, according to individual differences such as the driver DV's height and habits, and specific circumstances such as fatigue.

[0018] Returning to FIG. 3, the processor 10 determines whether the detected seat position exceeds the reference range (S4). The reference range used in this process may be the model reference range referred to in S3, or may be a model reference range MD according to the height of the body model or a reference range according to the target height (150 - 190 cm). When the detected seat position is above the first upper limit position of the first reference range, the processor 10 determines that the detected seat position exceeds the reference range. When the detected seat position is below the first lower limit position of the first reference range, the processor 10 determines that the detected seat position exceeds the reference range. When the detected seat position is in front of the second upper limit position of the second reference range, the processor 10 determines that the detected seat position exceeds the reference range. When the detected seat position is behind the second lower limit position of the second reference range, the processor 10 determines that the detected seat position exceeds the reference range. When the detected seat position exceeds the reference range (YES in S4), the reduction amount of the acceleration gain of the reference characteristic is calculated (S6), the reduced acceleration gain is set (S7), and a command value based on the reduced acceleration gain is sent to the vehicle controller 200. The vehicle controller 200 executes driving control based on the command value. On the other hand, when the detected seat position does not exceed the reference range (NO in S4), the acceleration gain of the reference characteristic is set (S5), and driving control is executed (S8). The acceleration gain in the reference characteristic is set according to the opening degree of the accelerator pedal and its change amount. The reference characteristic is an initial set value designed according to the vehicle performance.

[0019] In addition, in the calculation process of the acceleration gain reduction amount in S6 of Figure 3, the processor 10 may calculate the difference between the detected seat position and the seat position in the reference range, calculate the acceleration gain reduction amount based on the difference, reduce the acceleration gain based on the reduction amount (S7), and execute driving control (S8). This makes it possible to calculate the acceleration gain reduction amount according to the degree of deviation from the reference range, so that the seat position can be evaluated based on the actual state. Although not particularly limited, the processor 10 sets the acceleration gain reduction amount to a larger value when the difference between the detected seat position and the seat position in the reference range is large than when the difference is small. The processor 10 may set the acceleration gain reduction amount to a larger value the greater the difference between the detected seat position and the seat position in the reference range.

[0020] In this embodiment, the acceleration gain is reduced when the detected seat position exceeds a predefined reference range for seat position. In other words, if the actual seat position is evaluated as inappropriate, the acceleration gain is reduced and the vehicle can be driven. According to the inventors' experiments, when the seat position is inappropriate, the driver DV tends to have an inappropriate ankle angle, and when the driver DV's ankle angle is inappropriate, the pedal operation accuracy tends to decrease. This decrease in pedal operation accuracy is particularly noticeable in the low pedal opening range. On the other hand, at intersections and the like, driving based on pedal operation in the low opening range, such as accelerating from a stop (starting), accelerating from deceleration, and accelerating from slow speed, is necessary, and each operation is required to be performed carefully and with high operational accuracy. In particular, at intersections with poor visibility, gradual acceleration control is required. Achieving gradual acceleration control requires highly accurate pedal operation. In this embodiment, based on the judgment that the seat position exceeds the reference range, a decrease in the accuracy of the current driver DV's driving operations, including pedal operation, is predicted, and the vehicle is controlled by reducing the acceleration gain. As a result, even if the precision of the driver's DV pedal operation is reduced, starting / acceleration will be performed gradually, enabling stable driving control. In other words, even if the precision of the driver's DV pedal operation is reduced, sudden acceleration can be suppressed, thus enabling stable driving control. Conventional technology, which suppresses sudden acceleration when it detects a strong press of the accelerator pedal caused by mistakenly pressing the brake instead of the accelerator, cannot solve the problem of operational errors based on specific individual reasons, such as decreased pedal operation accuracy due to the decline in physical function of elderly drivers. According to this embodiment, the problem that drivers whose pedal operation accuracy in the low-opening range has decreased due to physical characteristics, driving position, posture, age, or fatigue (decline in physical function) are unable to operate the pedal properly (with high accuracy) in situations where slowing down is necessary, such as at intersections, and end up accelerating excessively against their intentions, is solved by monitoring the seat position based on a reference range and reducing the acceleration gain in a timely manner. Furthermore, the determination of whether the seat position (vertical position) exceeds the reference range can be made based on whether the detected seat position is above the first upper limit of the first reference range, or whether the detected seat position (vertical position) is below the first lower limit of the first reference range. The determination of whether the seat position (front-back position) exceeds the reference range can be made based on whether the detected seat position is in front of the second upper limit of the second reference range, or whether the detected seat position is behind the second lower limit of the second reference range. According to the inventors' experiments, when the detected seat position (vertical position) is above the first upper limit of the first reference range, or when the detected seat position (front-back position) is in front of the second upper limit of the second reference range, there was a tendency for the ankle angle to become too small, and when the detected seat position (vertical position) is below the first lower limit of the first reference range, or when the detected seat position is behind the second lower limit of the second reference range, there was a tendency for the ankle angle to become too large. These tendencies were particularly pronounced when the pedal P was in the low-opening range. By setting a first upper limit position and a second lower limit position in the first and second reference ranges, respectively, it is possible to determine with high accuracy whether the actual seat position exceeds the reference range. Based on this determination that the seat position exceeds the reference range, it is possible to predict a decrease in the accuracy of the current driver DV's driving operations, including pedal operation, thereby reducing the acceleration gain to suppress sudden acceleration and enable stable driving. Furthermore, the technology of this embodiment is applicable not only to manual driving control but also to autonomous driving control excluding fully autonomous driving. Even during autonomous driving, there are situations in which the driver DV takes over the driving control, and in such situations, it is preferable to control the acceleration gain according to the seat position of the driver DV during autonomous driving.

[0021] <Second Embodiment> The inventors noticed that the appropriate seat position differs depending on the driver DV's height, and prepared a reference range for seat positions corresponding to height. Figure 4(a) shows an example of a "reference range according to height". In Figure 4(a), two reference ranges, a first reference range D(ud) and a second reference range D(fr), according to height are shown in a single coordinate system. The horizontal axis is height (hm), and the vertical axis is the height D(ud) from the floor to the seat surface of the seat ST's seat surface S1, and the amount of forward movement D(fr) from the rear end of the seat rail to the reference point of the seat surface S1. Figure 4(a) shows the first reference range D(ud) with respect to the vertical position of the seat surface S1 of the seat ST according to height, along the direction of arrows U / D, as shown by a solid line. The first reference range D(ud) is defined by the first upper limit position ThU, which is the upper limit of the vertical position (direction of arrow U), and the first lower limit position ThD, which is the lower limit of the vertical position (direction of arrow D). For a given height, the preferred height (vertical position) of the seat surface S1 of the seat ST is a first reference range D(ud) that is less than or equal to the first upper limit position ThU and greater than or equal to the first lower limit position ThD. Figure 4(a) shows a second reference range D(fr) with a dashed line, which relates to the front-to-back position of the seat surface S1 of the seat ST along the arrow F / R directions according to height. The second reference range D(fr) is defined by the second upper limit position ThF, which is the upper limit of the front-to-back position (arrow F direction), and the second lower limit position ThR, which is the lower limit of the rear-to-back position (arrow R direction). For a given height, the preferred front-to-back position of the seat surface S1 of the seat ST is a second reference range D(fr) that is less than or equal to the second upper limit position ThF and greater than or equal to the second lower limit position ThR.

[0022] The processor 10 refers to a first reference range D(ud) and / or a second reference range D(fr) as reference ranges. The processor 10 may obtain the first reference range D(ud) for the vertical position of the seat portion S1, or the second reference range D(fr) for the front-to-back position of the seat portion S1, or it may obtain the first reference range D(ud) and the second reference range D(fr) to evaluate the vertical and front-to-back positions of the seat portion S1. The first reference range D(ud) and / or the second reference range D(fr) can define the width of the seat position (vertical / front-to-back) for a given height value or range. In this embodiment, a "model reference range MD" corresponding to the height of the body model may be defined from the reference ranges shown in Figure 4(a), or a reference range MD' corresponding to the target height (150-190cm) may be defined.

[0023] When using the reference range corresponding to height shown in Figure 4(a), the flow F2 in Figure 3 is executed. After acquiring the detection information (S1), the processor 10 acquires the height of the driver operating the vehicle and the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle, which were detected using the sensor 3 (S10). The processor 10 refers to the reference range (Figure 4(a)) to which the driver DV's height and seat position are associated (S11) and acquires the reference range of the seat position corresponding to the detected driver DV's height (S12). The processor 10 determines whether the detected seat position exceeds the reference range corresponding to the driver DV's height. Specifically, if the detected seat position is above the first upper limit position ThU of the first reference range D(ud) relating to the vertical position of the seat ST, or in front of the second upper limit position ThF of the second reference range D(fr) relating to the front-to-back position of the seat ST (YES in S13), the process proceeds to S6. Otherwise (NO in S13), the process proceeds to S14 to determine the relationship between the seat position and the first lower limit position ThD and the second lower limit position ThR. If the detected seat position is below the first lower limit position ThD of the first reference range D(ud) relating to the vertical position of the seat ST, or behind the second lower limit position ThR of the second reference range D(fr) relating to the longitudinal position of the seat ST (YES in S14), the process proceeds to S6. The processor 10 calculates the amount of acceleration gain reduction according to the first reference range D(ud) and / or the second reference range D(fr) and the detected seat position (S6), sets the acceleration gain (S7), and executes the driving control (S8). This embodiment achieves the functions and effects of the first embodiment. Furthermore, since a reference range for the seat position is defined according to height, it is possible to determine whether or not to reduce the acceleration gain depending on whether the actual seat position is within the reference range considering the actual height of the driver DV. This allows for more accurate prediction of the decrease in the driver DV's pedal operation accuracy, and even if the driver DV's pedal operation accuracy is reduced, it is possible to perform starting / acceleration gradually and achieve stable driving control. Since the reference seat position can be determined based on the actual height of the driver DV estimated from the captured image, it is possible to provide acceleration characteristics that correspond to the different physical characteristics (height) of each driver DV.

[0024] <Third Embodiment> In this embodiment, the processor 10 refers to a reference seat position associated with the driver's height and seat position, obtains the reference seat position associated with the detected driver DV's height, and reduces the acceleration gain if the difference between the detected seat position and the reference seat position is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. Figure 4(b) shows the reference seat position, which corresponds to the driver's height. The reference seat position is an example of a reference range. Figure 4(b) shows two reference seat positions, a first reference seat position S(ud) and a second reference seat position S(fr), corresponding to height, on a single coordinate system. The horizontal axis is height (hm), and the vertical axis is the height S(ud) from the floor to the seat surface of the seat ST's seat surface S1, and the amount of forward movement S(fr) from the rear end of the seat rail to the reference point of the seat surface S1. Figure 4(b) shows the first reference seat position S(ud) with respect to the vertical position of the seat surface S1 of the seat ST along the arrow U / D direction, corresponding to height, as shown by a solid line. Also, Figure 4(b) shows the second reference seat position S(fr) with respect to the front-to-back position of the seat surface S1 of the seat ST along the arrow F / R direction, corresponding to height, as shown by a dashed line. Unlike the reference range in Figure 4(a), the reference seat position in Figure 4(b) is defined as one seat position for each height. Of course, from the relationship in Figure 4(b), it is also possible to obtain a reference seat position (range) corresponding to a predetermined range of heights. The control procedure of this embodiment will be explained based on the flowchart of F3 in Figure 5. The processor 10 detects the height of the driver DV using the sensor 3 (S21). The processor 10 detects the seat position using the sensor 3 (S22). The processor 10 refers to a reference seat position (Figure 4(b)) to which height and seat position are associated (S23). The processor 10 obtains the reference seat position associated with the detected height of the driver DV (S24). The processor 10 calculates the difference between the detected seat position and the reference seat position (S25). The processor 10 determines whether the difference is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (S26). If the difference is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (YES in S26), the acceleration gain is reduced. In this process, the processor 10 calculates a first reduction amount according to the difference (S27) and determines a reduction amount according to the calculation result (S28). The first reduction amount when the difference is large can be made larger than the first reduction amount when the difference is small. The larger the difference, the larger the value of the first reduction amount may be. In the process of determining the reduction amount, the second, third, and fourth reduction amounts F4, F5, and F6, described later, may be added to or subtracted from the first reduction amount. The processor 10 sets the reduced acceleration gain (S7), sends a command value based on the reduced acceleration gain to the vehicle controller 200, and the vehicle controller 200 executes driving control (S8). On the other hand, if the difference is less than a predetermined value (NO in S26), the acceleration gain of the reference characteristic is set (S5), and driving control is executed (S8). In the reference characteristic, the acceleration gain corresponding to the opening of the accelerator pedal is set. The reference characteristic is an initial setting value designed according to the vehicle performance. The processes of S5, S7-S8 are the same as those shown in Figure 3 in the first embodiment. The same applies to the fourth to sixth embodiments. This embodiment achieves the functions and effects of the first and second embodiments. By referring to a reference seat position associated with the driver's height and seat position, it is possible to determine whether the actual seat position is within the reference range based on the difference between the detected seat reference position corresponding to the driver's height and the actually detected seat position. This allows for more accurate determination of whether the seat position is appropriate and enables control of the acceleration gain in appropriate situations. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the accuracy of driver DV operation in the low-throttle range with greater accuracy. Furthermore, by determining the amount of acceleration gain reduction according to the magnitude of the difference, the amount of reduction can be controlled according to the degree of deviation of the actual seat position from the reference seat position.

[0025] Furthermore, the fourth to sixth embodiments described later can be implemented in combination with the third embodiment. The second to fourth reduction amounts obtained in the processing according to the fourth to sixth embodiments described later can be added to or subtracted from the first reduction amount calculated in S27 in the reduction amount determination process (S28) of F3 in Figure 5 in the third embodiment to obtain an adjusted / corrected reduction amount.

[0026] <Fourth Embodiment> In this embodiment, the acceleration gain is controlled using reference heel position information, which associates the heel HL position of the driver DV with the seat position. Figure 4(c) shows an example of reference heel position information. The reference heel position is information that associates the seat position S with the heel position K. The seat position S is the amount of forward movement D from the rear end D0 of the seat rail shown in Figure 2 to the seat position D1, and the heel position K is the distance DP from the tip position K0 of the pedal P shown in Figure 2 to the heel position K1. Depending on the fore-aft position of the seat ST, the appropriate position of the heel HL of the driver DV operating the pedal P tends to differ. As shown in Figure 4(c), the reference heel position K tends to increase as the seat surface S1 of the seat ST moves forward. In this embodiment, the processor 10 uses the sensor 3 to obtain the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle and the heel position of the driver operating the vehicle, refers to the reference heel position (Figure 4(c)) which is associated with the seat position S and the driver's heel position K, obtains the reference seat position S associated with the detected heel position, and reduces the acceleration gain if the difference between the detected seat position and the reference seat position S is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The control procedure will be explained based on flowchart F4 in Figure 5. The processor 10 detects the seat position using sensor 3 (S31). The processor 10 detects the driver's heel position using sensor 3 (S32). The processor 10 refers to a reference heel position which is associated with the seat position and the driver's heel position (S33) and obtains a reference seat position S corresponding to the detected heel position (S34). The processor 10 calculates the difference between the detected seat position and the reference seat position S (S35). If the difference is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (YES in S36), the acceleration gain is reduced. In this process, the processor 10 calculates a second reduction amount according to the difference (S37). The second reduction amount when the difference is large can be made larger than the second reduction amount when the difference is small. The larger the difference, the larger the second reduction amount may be. The processor 10 sets the reduced acceleration gain (S7) and sends a command value based on the reduced acceleration gain to the vehicle controller 200. The vehicle controller 200 performs driving control (S8). As shown by the dashed line from S37, the processor 10 may determine the amount of reduction by adding the calculated second reduction amount to the first reduction amount (S28). On the other hand, if the difference is less than a predetermined value (NO in S36), the acceleration gain of the reference characteristic is set (S5) and driving control is performed (S8). This embodiment achieves the functions and effects of the first to third embodiments. In this embodiment, a reference heel position (Figure 4(c)) is used to define a seat position S corresponding to the heel position K. Therefore, a reference seat position S corresponding to the actual heel position HL DP of the driver DV is obtained, and it is possible to determine whether or not to reduce the acceleration gain according to the difference between the detected seat position and the reference seat position S. The position of the heel HL may differ depending on the driver DV's habits and posture. Depending on how the driver DV places their heel HL, the seat position may deviate from the appropriate position. If the seat position is inappropriate, the driver DV's ankle angle may become inappropriate. If the driver DV's ankle angle is inappropriate, the accuracy of pedal P operation may decrease. In this embodiment, an appropriate reference seat position S is obtained at the actual heel position HL DP of the driver DV, the difference between it and the actual seat position is calculated, and the acceleration / deceleration gain is controlled according to the difference. This makes it possible to suppress the influence of the driver DV's habits and posture on driving. Even if the seat position is inappropriate relative to the driver's heel position (HL), sudden starts / acceleration can be suppressed. In particular, it can predict the decrease in the driver's pedal P operation accuracy in the low-throttle range of the accelerator, where pedal P operation accuracy tends to decrease, and suppress the impact of this decrease in operation accuracy on driving. Furthermore, by determining the amount of acceleration gain reduction according to the magnitude of the seat position difference, the amount of reduction can be appropriately controlled according to the degree of deviation from the reference seat position.

[0027] <Fifth Embodiment> In this embodiment, similar to the fourth embodiment, the acceleration gain is controlled using reference heel position information (Figure 4(c)) which associates the reference heel position K of the driver DV's heel HL with the seat position S. The description of the fourth embodiment, including the explanation of Figure 4(c), is incorporated herein by reference. The processor 10 uses the sensor 3 to obtain the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle and the heel position of the driver DV who is driving the vehicle. It refers to a reference heel position (Figure 4(c)) which is associated with the seat position S and the driver's heel position K, obtains the reference heel position K associated with the detected seat position, calculates the difference between the detected driver's heel position and the reference heel position K, calculates the amount of acceleration gain reduction based on the difference, and reduces the acceleration gain based on the amount of reduction. The control procedure will be explained based on flowchart F5 in Figure 5. The processor 10 detects the heel position of the driver DV using the sensor 3 (S41). The processor 10 detects the seat position using the sensor 3 (S42). The processor 10 refers to a reference heel position (Figure 4(c)) which associates the seat position S with the driver's heel position K (S43) and obtains the reference heel position K corresponding to the detected seat position (S44). The processor 10 determines whether the heel position has moved from the reference heel position K (S45). If the heel position has moved from the reference heel position K (YES in S45), the processor determines whether the heel position has moved forward of the reference heel position K (direction of travel: Y direction in Figure 2) (S46). In this embodiment, "movement" may be replaced with "change". If it is determined that the driver DV's heel HL is moving forward (YES in S46), the difference between the detected driver's heel position and the reference heel position K associated with the detected seat position is calculated (S47), and the third reduction amount of acceleration gain corresponding to the difference is calculated (S48). If it is determined that the driver DV's heel HL is not moving forward (NO in S46), the third reduction amount calculated in S48 is corrected using the acceleration gain of the reference characteristic as the upper limit (S49). Based on the third reduction amount obtained in S48, the processor 10 sets the acceleration gain (S7) and executes driving control (S8). In S28, the processor 10 adds or subtracts the first, second, and fourth reduction amounts from the third reduction amount obtained in S48 to determine a single reduction amount (S28). If the heel position has not moved from the reference heel position K (NO in S45), the acceleration gain of the reference characteristic is set (S5), and driving control is executed (S8). This embodiment achieves the functions and effects of the first to fourth embodiments. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since a reference heel position K defined according to the seat position is referenced, it is possible to determine whether or not to reduce the acceleration gain based on the actual heel position HL of the driver DV, specifically whether or not the heel position has moved from the reference heel position K, or whether or not the difference between the current heel position and the reference heel position K is not zero or is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The position of the heel HL may differ depending on the driver DV's habits. Depending on how the driver DV places their heel, the seat position may deviate from the appropriate position. If the seat position is inappropriate, the driver DV's ankle angle may become inappropriate. If the driver DV's ankle angle is inappropriate, the accuracy of pedal P operation may decrease. In this embodiment, the difference between the actual heel position HK and the reference heel position K is calculated, and the acceleration / deceleration gain is controlled according to the difference, so the influence of the driver DV's habits and posture on driving can be suppressed. Even if the driver DV's heel position HL is inappropriate relative to the seat position, sudden starts / rapid acceleration can be suppressed. In particular, it is possible to predict the decrease in the driver DV's pedal P operation accuracy in the low-throttle accelerator opening range, where pedal P operation accuracy tends to decrease, and suppress the impact of decreased operation accuracy on driving. Furthermore, by determining the amount of acceleration gain reduction according to the magnitude of the heel position difference, the amount of reduction can be appropriately controlled according to the degree of deviation from the reference heel position. In this way, since the acceleration characteristics can be modified based on the driver DV's heel position estimated from the information of sensor 3, acceleration characteristics corresponding to different driving positions can be provided for each driver DV. In addition, in the second and third embodiments, the acceleration characteristics determined based on a reference range corresponding to height or a reference seat position can be modified. Since the acceleration characteristics can be determined based on the current driver DV's driving position, appropriate acceleration characteristics can be implemented in real time according to fatigue and physical condition. Furthermore, in the processing of S46 in this embodiment, the decrease in acceleration gain when the driver DV's heel position moves toward the direction of vehicle travel (forward, approaching pedal P) from the reference heel position is set to be greater than the decrease in acceleration gain when the driver's heel position moves toward the opposite side of the direction of vehicle travel (rearward, away from pedal P) from the reference heel position. In this embodiment, even if the heel position moves, as long as the new heel position is not forward of the reference heel position, the reduction in acceleration gain is kept small (closer to the acceleration gain of the reference characteristic). When the heel position is forward of the reference heel position, that is, close to the pedal P, the ankle angle tends to narrow, and when the heel position is backward of the reference heel position, that is, away from the pedal P, the ankle angle tends to widen. Furthermore, a narrower ankle angle tends to increase acceleration. For this reason, in this embodiment, when the heel position moves forward of the reference heel position, the reduction in acceleration gain is controlled to be relatively larger than when it moves backward. On the other hand, if the movement is backward and does not tend to increase acceleration, there is less need to reduce the acceleration gain than when the heel HL moves forward. In this embodiment, if it is determined that the heel HL of the driver DV has not moved forward (maintains its current position or moves backward), the third reduction amount calculated in S48 is corrected using the acceleration gain of the reference characteristic as the upper limit, and the reduction in acceleration gain is suppressed compared to when the heel HL moves forward. This allows for driving control with acceleration characteristics close to the reference characteristic when there is little possibility of increased acceleration.

[0028] <Sixth Embodiment> In this embodiment, the acceleration gain is controlled based on the ankle angle A of the driver DV's heel HL. The processor 10 uses the imaging information from the camera 31 to detect the joint position Q of the driver operating the vehicle and plots the joint position Q necessary for calculating the ankle angle. The processor 10 calculates the driver DV's ankle angle A (see Figure 2) from the plotted joint position Q, and if the ankle angle A exceeds a predefined range of reference ankle angles, it reduces the acceleration gain. The control procedure will be explained based on the flowchart F6 in Figure 5. The processor 10 uses the sensor 3 to detect the ankle angle of the driver DV (S51). It obtains a range of reference ankle angles to be stored in advance (S52). The reference ankle angle is the angle at which the operation accuracy of the pedal P is above a predetermined level. The reference ankle angle may also be the angle at which the operation accuracy of the pedal P in the low opening region is above a predetermined level. The range of the reference ankle angle can be set by experimental results. Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment the range of the reference ankle angle is set to 90° to 110° obtained by experiment. If the detected ankle angle A is within the range of the reference ankle angle (YES in S53), the processor 10 sets the acceleration gain of the reference characteristic (S5) and executes driving control (S8). The processor 10 determines that the ankle angle A is within the range of the reference ankle angle when the detected ankle angle A is below the upper limit and above the lower limit of the reference ankle angle. If the detected ankle angle A is outside the range of the reference ankle angle (NO in S53), the difference between the upper or lower limit of the reference ankle angle range and the detected ankle angle A is calculated (S54), and a fourth reduction amount corresponding to the difference is calculated (S55). The processor 10 determines that the ankle angle A is outside the range of the reference ankle angle when the detected ankle angle A exceeds the upper or lower limit of the reference ankle angle. The calculated fourth reduction amount is used in the setting process in S7 (S7). In S28, the processor 10 adds or subtracts the fourth reduction amount calculated in S55 from the first, second, and third reduction amounts to determine a single reduction amount (S28). According to this embodiment, by referring to a range of reference ankle angles, it is possible to determine whether or not to reduce the acceleration gain depending on whether the actual driver DV's ankle angle A exceeds the range of reference ankle angles. The ankle angle A may vary depending on the driver DV's habits and fatigue level. In this embodiment, since the acceleration / deceleration gain is controlled according to the actual driver DV's ankle angle, the influence of the driver DV's habits and fatigue level on driving can be suppressed. In this way, by using sensor 3 to acquire and monitor the joint position of the driver DV, estimating the ankle angle in three-dimensional space, and adjusting the acceleration gain based on that value, the accuracy of estimating the state of the driver DV is improved, and changes in the posture of the lower limbs due to driver DV fatigue can be accurately responded to. While the habits of the driver DV are difficult to change, the degree of fatigue varies depending on the day's circumstances, and it is difficult to predict changes in the ankle angle A caused by fatigue. Since the acceleration / deceleration gain is controlled according to the actual ankle angle of the driver DV, even if the accuracy of the driver DV's pedal operation decreases due to fatigue, sudden acceleration can be suppressed, and stable driving control can be achieved. In particular, the impact on driving due to a decrease in the accuracy of the driver DV's operation in the low-throttle-opening range can be suppressed. Furthermore, by determining the amount of acceleration gain reduction according to the magnitude of the difference, the amount of acceleration gain reduction can be controlled according to the degree of deviation of the actual ankle angle from the range of the reference ankle angle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 100…Driving control system, 1…Driving control device, 10…Processor, 11…CPU, 12…ROM, 13…RAM, 20…Input / output device, 30…Communication device, 2…Seat position adjustment device, 21…Seat sensor, 22…Seat drive mechanism, 3…Sensor, 31…Camera, 31a…Interior camera, 31b…Exterior camera, 32…Accelerator opening sensor, 33…Heel position sensor, 34…Seat position sensor, 200…Vehicle controller, 210…Steering control device, 220…Drive control device

Claims

1. A driving control method used in a processor to control the operation of a vehicle, The processor acquires the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle, and if the seat position exceeds a predetermined reference range for the seat position, the driving control method reduces the acceleration gain of the vehicle.

2. The aforementioned reference range includes a first reference range relating to the vertical position of the seat position, The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor reduces the acceleration gain when the detected seat position is above the first upper limit position of the first reference range.

3. The aforementioned reference range includes a first reference range relating to the vertical position of the seat position, The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor reduces the acceleration gain when the detected seat position is below the first lower limit position of the first reference range.

4. The aforementioned reference range includes a second reference range relating to the front-to-back position of the seat position, The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor reduces the acceleration gain when the detected seat position is ahead of the second upper limit position of the second reference range.

5. The aforementioned reference range includes a second reference range relating to the front-to-back position of the seat position, The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor reduces the acceleration gain when the detected seat position is after the second lower limit position of the second reference range.

6. The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the reference range is defined based on the seat position such that the ankle angle of a reference driver operating the vehicle falls within a predetermined reference ankle angle range in a predetermined low-opening region of the accelerator pedal.

7. The operation control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor acquires the seat position, calculates the difference between the seat position and the reference range, calculates the amount of reduction in the acceleration gain based on the difference, and reduces the acceleration gain based on the amount of reduction.

8. The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor uses a sensor to obtain the height of the driver operating the vehicle and the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle, refers to the reference range to which the driver's height and the seat position are associated, obtains the reference range to which the detected height is associated, and reduces the acceleration gain if the detected seat position exceeds the reference range.

9. The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor uses a sensor to obtain the height of the driver operating the vehicle and the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle, refers to a reference seat position associated with the driver's height and the seat position, obtains the reference seat position associated with the detected height, and reduces the acceleration gain if the difference between the detected seat position and the reference seat position is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

10. The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor uses a sensor to obtain the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle and the heel position of the driver operating the vehicle, refers to a reference heel position associated with the seat position and the driver's heel position, calculates the difference between the reference heel position corresponding to the detected seat position and the detected driver's heel position, calculates the amount of reduction in the acceleration gain based on the difference, and reduces the acceleration gain based on the amount of reduction.

11. The driving control method according to claim 10, wherein the amount of decrease in the acceleration gain when the driver's heel position moves toward the direction of travel of the vehicle from the reference heel position is greater than the amount of decrease in the acceleration gain when the driver's heel position moves toward the opposite side of the direction of travel of the vehicle from the reference heel position.

12. The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor uses a sensor to obtain the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle and the heel position of the driver operating the vehicle, refers to a reference heel position associated with the seat position and the driver's heel position, obtains a reference seat position associated with the detected heel position, and reduces the acceleration gain if the difference between the detected seat position and the reference seat position is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

13. The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor uses camera imaging information to detect the joint positions of the driver operating the vehicle, calculates the driver's ankle angle from the joint positions, and reduces the acceleration gain if the ankle angle exceeds a predetermined range of reference ankle angles relating to the ankle angle.

14. A driving control device equipped with a processor that controls the operation of a vehicle, The processor is a driving control device that acquires the seat position of the driver's seat of the vehicle and reduces the acceleration gain of the vehicle if the seat position exceeds a predetermined reference range for the seat position.

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